BlackBerry abundance

[Janulka098]

I have never made wine from blackberries but this year there are so many that I could not resist and put three different experiments on-
First one - 1.5kg blackberries, handful of blackcurrants with two litres of Waitrose merlot grape juice and kg of sugar plus 3bag brew for tannin. Left to ferment on the pulp for three days and then strained into demijohn - topped up with apple juice and it’s beautiful deep pink colour chugging along like a train.
(Poured 4l of apple juice on the pulp to do cider- strained into a plastic 5l bottle after couple of days and it gave the cider lovely summer fruit colour)

2nd batch of blackberry- three kilos of blackberries. 250g of elderberries, two bananas and 200g of sultanas halved with 2.5 kg sugar plus 5 bag brew. topped up to 12l in fermenter - chugging along nicely- will strain after 5days into two demijohns and let it finish

3rd batch - 1.5kg blackberries, 500g elderberries - kg of sugar. And water to 5l - just sitting there waiting for yeast tomorrow after campden tablet does it’s thing. Will strain after 5 days and top up with some rgj or apple juice (whatever’s in the house)

Really hope that they will taste nice!
Hopefully will end up with 4DJs of yum

 

[jceg316]

nice one, good luck!

On my farm I have a sh*t tonne of blackberries coming through. I've tried to make blackberry wine but it never really worked out. This year my wife and her sister have made loads of jam, I'm gonna make some chutney and have set some aside to make a blackberry berlinner weisse. I might add some when I make some cider as well. I just need to find something to do with the rest...

 

[Janulka098]

Oh - why did it not work out? The first batch at the moment tastes nice. I had a sneak sample with sterilised straw :) - probably will be drinkable quite soonish as it’s only BlackBerry and blackcurrants with some red grape juice so fruity.
Will have to make some jam! Such a shame seeing them go to waste! Other half does not like pips in so more work for me with the blackberries! Made quince jam last year and it’s only me eating it for some reason... with good stinky cheese! (This year my quince tree is looking rather sick ) Chutney... never thought of that! Will have to google some blackberry chutney recipes!

 

[Clint]

Am I reading it right...you added wine (merlot) to a brew to start?

 

[Janulka098]

Am I reading it right...you added wine (merlot) to a brew to start?

What a silly mistake I made... No... added Waitrose merlot grape juice. Not merlot (would have drunk that one!) amended the post! Silly me.

 

[jceg316]

Oh - why did it not work out? The first batch at the moment tastes nice. I had a sneak sample with sterilised straw :) - probably will be drinkable quite soonish as it’s only BlackBerry and blackcurrants with some red grape juice so fruity.
Will have to make some jam! Such a shame seeing them go to waste! Other half does not like pips in so more work for me with the blackberries! Made quince jam last year and it’s only me eating it for some reason... with good stinky cheese! (This year my quince tree is looking rather sick ) Chutney... never thought of that! Will have to google some blackberry chutney recipes!

One batch went bad, the other didn't seem to ferment (went from 1.113 to 1.080), I made damson wine with similar results. I think I just get lazy with the process, life gets in the way etc. I'll get back to it one day, it's a really good way to use up a lot of blackberries. We have even more damsons growing in the hedges I need to process as well, not sure what to do. Could make more chutney.

I grow hops at the farm as well, and this year a lot of them need their rhizome trimmed. I plan to throw the rhizome cuttings into the hedgerow as well, if they take I'll open that section up to people to come and pick fruit and hops.

 

[Janulka098]

Damsons make lovely jam too. Very good in cottage cheese damson dumplings!! Make cottage cheese and flour dough- one egg, tubof cottage cheese two teaspoons of sugar and flour to keep it All together when mixed- envelope stoned damson in it to form a filled dumpling and dump in water- when floating they are done. Put some breadcrumbs and sugar in frying pan with a bit of butter and fry till golden and sprinkle on damson dumplings! Yum.
Where I come from originally the abundance of damsons is always a good thing. All are transported to a certified place and made into zwetchsgenwasser ... some dry years you can pick prunes!!

 

[Janulka098]

One batch went bad, the other didn't seem to ferment (went from 1.113 to 1.080), I made damson wine with similar results. I think I just get lazy with the process, life gets in the way etc. I'll get back to it one day, it's a really good way to use up a lot of blackberries. We have even more damsons growing in the hedges I need to process as well, not sure what to do. Could make more chutney.

I grow hops at the farm as well, and this year a lot of them need their rhizome trimmed. I plan to throw the rhizome cuttings into the hedgerow as well, if they take I'll open that section up to people to come and pick fruit and hops.

My father in law brews beer. I keep telling him he needs more hops in it as it tastes quite boring :) - I am used to different tastes I suppose! He definitely needs more in his brews for some flavour! Will prob have to get him some dried stuff to chuck in. Although he mainly does wilko kits so no surprise there :)

 

[Mr_S_Jerusalem]

I am some what concerned about my Apple and blackberry wine 2 gallon, having had wines before that were left with a distinctly sulphur taste.

Currently I am thinking it may either have been from attempting a 4 gallon batch with not enough yeast (that was rice and raisin) or from too high temperatures.
As we know, it will be quite high for the next few days and my Apple/blackberry is in its infancy. Hence I am struggling to get it cool enough lol.

It actually smells slightly of sulphur right now, but that could be either paranoia, normal wierd fermenting smells, or the cat sitting on my lap lol

 

[Janulka098]

I am some what concerned about my Apple and blackberry wine 2 gallon, having had wines before that were left with a distinctly sulphur taste.

Currently I am thinking it may either have been from attempting a 4 gallon batch with not enough yeast (that was rice and raisin) or from too high temperatures.
As we know, it will be quite high for the next few days and my Apple/blackberry is in its infancy. Hence I am struggling to get it cool enough lol.

It actually smells slightly of sulphur right now, but that could be either paranoia, normal wierd fermenting smells, or the cat sitting on my lap lol

My demijohns are sitting in the hall right now. That’s the coolest place in the house :)

 

[jceg316]

My father in law brews beer. I keep telling him he needs more hops in it as it tastes quite boring :) - I am used to different tastes I suppose! He definitely needs more in his brews for some flavour! Will prob have to get him some dried stuff to chuck in. Although he mainly does wilko kits so no surprise there :)

Fruit could be a good way to spice up a kit! Do you brew beer? Might be worth getting a kit, adding some blackberries and showing him what he's missing!

 

[BeerCat]

Cordial? Drinking it now. Well i mean its in the house, obviously drinking beer but its very nice.

 

[Janulka098]

Fruit could be a good way to spice up a kit! Do you brew beer? Might be worth getting a kit, adding some blackberries and showing him what he's missing!

First I think I have to get him to start modifying his kits a bit. The last one he has done should have had some extra hops added to be honest but not too bad as a summer drink :) I don’t brew beer although I drunk enough of it in my earlier years there was a brewery with lovely pub attached in town where I grew up and as “young adults” used to hand around there :)

 

[Janulka098]

Made another batch of blackberry/ elderberry today 70/30 split - should be just right :) 4kg blackberries, just under kilo elderberries. 2.5kg sugar and two litres of red grape juice. Pectolase and water to 15l - just waiting for some red wine yeast to pop in tomorrow.
Hopefully a good recipe - to be honest I am sort of winging it now. As long as sugar is up to 1100 on hydrometer I am happy :)
every day I go out I end up with a tub of blackberries! Would be shame to let them go to waste! Freezing them at the moment but had to use them up as running out of space. So room for some more now :)

 

[HSD]

Creme du Mure in France, Bramble in Cornwall, blackberry liquor is worth a go, around a kilo of blackberry's for each bottle of red wine - good solid cab or rioja ideal nothing too pricey, fortified with a pint of spirit - brandy works best, macerate the fruit and steep in the wine for three days in a covered bucket/FV, strain and sieve through muslin to get pips out into a large pan and bring up to a gentle simmer for ten minutes with half a pound of sugar, allow to cool off for half an hour and add spirit, when completely cooled bottle into sterilised bottles and keep until christmas if making now, even better kept for a year. Numerous recipes on the web, simply double up etc if dealing with a glut, great christmas present for friends.

 

[MrRook]

We have a bunch of wild blackberries all around us. My wife has made two pies so far and hopefully the weather will cooperate and I can brew an American wheat beer soon that I'll put a bunch in.

 

[Janulka098]

Made last batch of blackberry/elderberry today. Looking at blackberries around it’s the end of them now. Trying 50/50 (ish) split with elderberries for this one
3kg fruit (Frozen first) in straining bag, 1kg sugar, campden and pectolase, water to 5l - will pop in yeast tomorrow and leave to ferment with bag for 7days and then transfer to demijohn and top up to the neck and leave alone for couple of months.
Hopefully works out well.

 

[DavidDetroit]

"Blackberry Abundance"
Great wine name. I would buy it and I don't drink wine.

 

[Mr_S_Jerusalem]

Mildly disappointed to hear blackberries are nearing their end, however the sloes are out now aren’t they?

I am considering a sloe wine next, if I can be bothered to go pick some and assuming they are ripe enough this time. Last time I picked them too early and it made a slightly strange wine lol.

 

[Janulka098]

Mildly disappointed to hear blackberries are nearing their end, however the sloes are out now aren’t they?

I am considering a sloe wine next, if I can be bothered to go pick some and assuming they are ripe enough this time. Last time I picked them too early and it made a slightly strange wine lol.

I think you have to leave sloe berries a little while longer :) normally after first frost... we’ll probably end of October early November time for sloe. I think with blackberries it depends where in UK you are. I am South East and they are turning mushy and dried up